


The Baffled King Composing

by PFDiva



Series: Secret Chord [2]
Category: Friends at the Table (Podcast)
Genre: M/M, Multi, fucking fight me, heavy duty heavy petting, lots of just self-indulgent touching, minimal spoilers?, this is the fic self-indulgence wrote
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-14
Updated: 2018-06-14
Packaged: 2019-05-22 00:13:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14925692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PFDiva/pseuds/PFDiva
Summary: After the wedding, Sokrates, Jace, and Addax get ready for bed.





	The Baffled King Composing

Sokrates probably spends three hours exorcising eir emotional demons, now that ey knows Jace and Addax love and want em as much as ey love and want them. It is embarrassing and messy and neither Addax nor Jace treat Sokrates like the moron ey feel ey are.

"I'm so sorry," Sokrates eventually apologizes, scrubbing eir face with eir hands.

"It's perfectly fine." Addax says, gently. "Emotions happen. They're allowed."

At some point, the trio ended up sitting on one of the massive beds on the second-lowest tier of the wedding suite. Sokrates faces Addax with Jace warm against eir back. Jace nuzzles his cheek against Sokrates', "Also, you're now morally obligated to put up with either of us if we start bawling."

Sokrates lets out a watery laugh, "You got it. Now let me up so I can wash my face." Jace makes an incoherent noise of complaint, but doesn't prevent Sokrates from shaking him off.

After about twenty minutes, Sokrates comes back to find Jace and Addax....well, ey's not sure _what_ they're doing. Both men are on their feet at the foot of the bed, close enough to the bath in the center to be pushed in, if Sokrates was a child. Addax has Jace's face cupped in his hands. It almost looks as though Addax is preparing to kiss Jace, his face soft and intent, Jace's eyes serenely closed.

Sokrates must make some sound, because Addax looks up. Jace does not. His eyes remain closed, body relaxed even when Addax speaks.

"Come help."

"How?" Sokrates is already walking over.

"Put your hands around his neck. Both of them. Gently."

Sokrates obeys. Ey loosely lace eir fingers around Jace's neck, the heels of eir hands just touching the back of Jace's neck. Ey can feel Jace swallow, but the muscles in Jace's neck do not tense. Jace isn't afraid.

Addax takes his hands off of Jace's face to gently wrap around Sokrates'. He tightens Sokrates' grip so that ey is firmly holding Jace's neck. When Sokrates nods eir understanding, Addax moves on. He undoes Jace's shirt, looking over Jace's shoulder at Sokrates. Sokrates takes the hint and lets go of Jace's neck to carefully pull off Jace's shirt, setting it aside.

While Sokrates watches, Addax cups Jace's shoulder in both hands. It's a little awkward, but no more so than Sokrates' hands around Jace's neck. Sokrates follows Addax's example, moving to Jace's other shoulder, putting eir hands around it in that firm manner Addax showed em before. Addax flashes Sokrates a reassuring smile, then wordlessly wraps his hands around Jace's upper arm, elbow, forearm, wrists, hand. He holds on for a few seconds, maybe five, before moving on. Sokrates emulates Addax on Jace's other side, more slowly.

When Addax finishes with Jace's arms, he moves back around to Jace's front, firmly pressing his hands to Jace's chest, then lifts them and replaces them a handspan lower. Sokrates is just getting to Jace's back when Addax reaches Jace's waistband.

Jace's skin is smooth and warm under Sokrates' hands and he looks so relaxed that Sokrates can't rush this. While Sokrates touches Jace's back, Addax kneels to take off his shoes and socks. Jace leans back into Sokrates' hands when Addax unbalances him, and Sokrates keeps eir hands against his back a little longer to help them out.

When Jace's feet are bare, Addax deliberately covers Jace's feet with his hands for a few seconds, then grasps Jace's ankles, gently holding on.

That done, Addax undoes Jace's pants, pulling them down and off. This is where Sokrates finally catches up with Addax. Ey kneels to put both eir hands around Jace's thigh, just at the hem of his boxers, his knee, his shin and calf. Addax gets the other leg.

Addax finally removes Jace's boxers and places his hands on Jace's hips while Sokrates gets big handfuls of Jace's ass. It is a very nice ass, all things considered, but this ritual is so unusual that Sokrates is thinking about that, rather than Jace's ass.

Over their heads, Jace finally makes a sound, sighing deeply and rolling his head to crack his neck.

Addax gets up and offers Sokrates a hand up, which Sokrates takes. "So what is this?" Addax looks at Jace. Jace sheepishly twirls a finger in his hair and shrugs, uncomfortably turning away. Addax gives Sokrates' hand a squeeze.

"You know what happened to Jace after...everything?"

Sokrates slowly nods, keeping half an eye on Jace, who meanders almost out of earshot, the back of his neck turning red. Ey knew a little of what happened.

Orth _never_ asked for assistance with Jace's upkeep, but they'd all known Jace hadn't been well and that Orth would be the one most likely to take care of him. Orth was and is like that. Sokrates had given what ey could, when ey could. It hadn't been much and it hadn't been often, but Jace has clearly recovered. Mostly.

"It makes him feel more grounded," Addax explains, "So now it's something we do. Nice, isn't it?"

Sokrates nods, watching Jace meander his way back. He's flushed all down his chest, but his expression is resolute, "Who's next?"

Sokrates glances at Addax, whose eyebrows lift in a question. Sokrates wants to back away, put this off, cry mercy. That's not like em at all, so ey look at Jace again, "Me." It's the right answer. Jace's face lights up with genuine delight.

Sokrates turns to face Jace more fully, presenting emself for his appraisal. Jace cups Sokrates' face in gentle hands. A decade of inactivity has worn away calluses that Sokrates knows Jace's hands should have. It's still incredibly nice. Jace's hands are so warm. Sokrates would expect Jace's expression to be mischievous, playful, but it's not. He's serious. Pleased, to be sure, but serious and sincere.

From behind Sokrates, Addax's hands gently encircle eir neck. It doesn't at all feel claustrophic, with the heels of Addax's hands firmly pressed into the back of eir neck, his fingers carefully curved around eir gills, fingertips meeting against eir neck under eir chin. It makes Sokrates relax to realize that Addax has remembered to be careful of eir gills. Jace must see something of that in Sokrates' face, because his smile broadens. It makes Sokrates smile in response, tipping eir face into his hands.

Together, Jace and Addax strip Sokrates to eir skin. They both touch Sokrates firmly enough to avoid tickling, but not so firmly it hurts. They do not explore the scars left by Integrity under eir skin, they do not poke at the gills between eir ribs, or scratch at the irregular patches of scales covering eir skin. It is touch for the sake of touch, contact for the sake of contact. Nothing more or less.

Sokrates quickly comes to understand why it makes Jace feel grounded. There is something reassuring about being touched in this impersonal way by people who love em and soon, Sokrates has eir eyes closed, swaying with their motions, trusting them. Eir trust is rewarded.

When they finish, Sokrates can hear them getting back to their feet, but can't bring emself to move just yet. Ey keep eir eyes closed and breathe, missing the warmth of their touch, feeling very wholly emself. They do not rush em.

Sokrates sighs and opens eir eyes to find Jace and Addax fondly watching em. Ey smile and reach for Addax, pulling him closer. It's Sokrates' turn to cup Addax's face in eir hands, while Jace's hands gently curl about Addax's neck. Unlike Sokrates, Addax immediately closes his eyes. The trust is unbearable.

Jace and Sokrates work in silent tandem to strip Addax, and when they finish, Addax takes a moment to breathe as well. Jace snuggles up to Sokrates' side while they wait for Addax. It is now that Jace's fingers carefully trace the scars from Integrity. There are a lot and they never really heal. They don't hurt as much as they should, but they do still hurt when Integrity moves.

Jace and Addax are not threats and Sokrates isn't anxious about them anymore. Integrity doesn't react.

There is a patch of scales on Sokrates' hip and Jace's fingers wander down to stroke over it. It doesn't feel like much, but it doesn't hurt either. Sokrates keeps eir arm around Jace's shoulders, alternating between watching Jace's fingers and watching Addax.

Addax eventually opens his eyes and offers them both a warm smile. Sokrates reaches out to Addax again, pulling him close for a kiss while Jace's fingers continue to explore.

The three of them spend a few minutes standing close, holding each other. Jace breaks away first, kissing Addax's jaw and giving Sokrates' side a squeeze before pulling away.

"Well, I don't know about you two, but I'm going to bed." He stretches his arms over his head before giving the pair a look, "Coming?"

"Not yet," Sokrates quips. Jace laughs and throws himself into bed. Addax groans, long-suffering as he pushes Sokrates away.

"I'm going to take a bath. You two keep your puns far away from me."

"Oh yeah," Jace exclaims, sitting up, "We should definitely try out that bath!"

"I am _just_ bathing," Addax says. "No hanky-panky." Jace blinks at Addax with such patently false innocence that Sokrates laughs and offers Addax eir arm.

"I'll protect your honor, I promise."

"Thank you."

The two of them get three steps before Jace barrels into both of them, knocking them into the water with a magnificent splash. The water is flavorful and fresh, and Sokrates twists away from the flailing limbs of the sodden humans, both trying to regain their bearings without hurting themselves or each other. Sokrates is in no danger. Ey can feel the shift in eir body as ey inhale the water. It doesn't hurt, but it feels quite strange.

After a few minutes swimming around, Sokrates surfaces to find Jace and Addax watching em again. Jace's expression is awed and fond, while Addax looks bemused and a little alarmed.

"What?" The word comes out bubbly and wet. Sokrates can see eir own distress at the sound of eir voice reflected in Jace and Addax's faces. It sounds like someone gurgling out their last words. It could only be less pleasant if the water was red. Sokrates inhales deeply to force oxygen into eir system, water dribbling down the sides of eir neck and sheeting from eir sides. When there is no more water left, ey try again. "Is there a reason why you two are staring?"

"You've been down there for several minutes," Jace points out, "We can't do that." Sokrates shrugs.

"Also the water is _salty_ ," Addax complains.

"Gives it flavor!"

"It's for _bathing_ \--Jace, stop laughing at me."

Jace leans against the bath's edge, laughing so hard his face is almost in the water as Addax complains. Sokrates is with him. Humans are so silly about their water. Admittedly, most of them can't drink water Apostolisians can, but _still_.

The three of them manage to bathe and get into bed with minimal silliness, but it's a comfortable silliness. Intimate. This morning, Sokrates was afraid ey would be an outsider, but after tonight? Ey're not so concerned about it.


End file.
